Captive by Onyx martin (best beach reads of all time .TXT) 📖

black shirts, one long-sleeve one short-sleeve. Both solid. Then there was an underwear/bra set. I blushed. What a creep. But they were black as well. The bra was B34. Uh, how did he know my size?
I suddenly felt very self-conscious about my chest.
I grabbed the short-sleeve shirt, black jeans and bra/underwear set and headed into the bathroom, snatching the towel off the towel holder. If that’s what it’s even called. I took a nice, long hot shower trying to calm my raging nerves.
Afterwards I dried myself off, got dressed (surprisingly everything fit perfectly and I got a tad bit suspicious) and I hopped onto the closer bed. I felt my eyelids already drooping and I gave way to sleep not much later.

I dreamt of Mom. And Louis. Mom was in the recliner. Louis and I were on the couch. We were watching a movie. But when I looked at the T.V. I saw nothing. Louis and Mom were staring intently at it, as if something were actually on it.
“Louis? What the hell are you guys doing?”
“Shh. Watch the screen.”
“There’s nothing on it! It’s blank and dark and empty, like me!” I crossed my arms.
Louis glared at me, “Just look at it.”
I turned. Sure enough, there was something on it. A girl. A teenage girl. Laying the grass, blood covered. It was… it was me! I was lying next to a highway. Everyone saw my body, bleeding to death but nobody stopped to help.
“What the?” I said in disbelief, walking over to the screen.
A woman walked past me. A woman with her brunette hair tied up in a ponytail. She saw my body and stopped. I choked out, “Help!”
The woman shook her head, smiling. She kicked my body and laughed as I rolled into the ditch. Into the mud.
I slowly closed my eyes, knowing nobody was going to help. Nobody would care if I died anyway.

“Axel, Axel, wake up!”
“L… Louis?”
He sighed, “No, Axel. It’s Nick.”
I turned over, away from him. My cheeks were wet. I quickly wiped away my tears.
“Why are you crying?”
I sat up straight, “Why am I crying? You took me away from the people I loved! You took me away from my mom, my boyfriend, my friends, everybody!”
“I’m sorry, Axel! Will you ever forgive me?”
“NO!” I growled, lying back down and covering my face with a pillow. I didn’t want to look at him ever ever again.
“Axel… will you at least talk to me… if I let you call your mother?”
I slowly sat up again, “What?”
He reached over for the phone on the bedside table and handed it to me, “Call your Mom. Talk to her. Make up something. Just don’t tell her you’re here with us and don’t tell her our location.”
I scrambled for the phone. I bit my lip, recalling Mom’s number. I dialed quickly and held the cold, tan phone up to my ear, playing with the long, curly wire.
It rang twice before Mom picked up.
“Hello?”
“Mom!”
“Axel! Where the hell are you?”
“Oh, Mom!” I had to fight the tears. I couldn’t cry again. Not on the phone with Mom at least. Her voice sounded so angelic to me now, having not heard it for so long. My heart ached. “I met up with an old friend… I’m with him now. Don’t worry about me, okay?”
“Not worry? You’re telling me not to worry! I haven’t sleep at all since you went missing! The police are looking for you! My God, Axel, you’re driving me and Louis insane! We both miss you so so much!”
“I’m sorry, Mom… I really am… but I won’t be home for a while. Just… call off the searching. I’m safe. Don’t worry. Please be happy, Mom. I’ll see you again one day. I love you! Tell Louis I love him too…”
“I love you too, baby! And will do… I miss you...”
“I miss you too…” I had to hang up. The tears were slipping down my cheeks already. I handed the phone back to Nick, who put it back on its charger on the table.
I curled up in a ball, arms around my knees.
“Axel…”
I shook my head. I couldn’t bear this.
He sighed and stood, heading for the door.
“Don’t… don’t go… please… I don’t want to be alone!” I said without even thinking.
He turned to me, confused and headed to the other bed, “Axel, I’m really really sorry about everything we’ve done… everything we’re doing… I tried to help you and I know that It was wrong to take you but I didn’t want to ruin o-“
“Shut up.” I snapped. I didn’t want to talk or to listen to anyone or anything. I just wanted to be held.
I stood, walked over to Nick, pushed him back on the bed so that he was lying down, and curled up next to him on it. He hesitated, but wrapped his arms around me protectively. It felt good. It felt safe. I didn’t care who it was or where I was. Just that I was safe and someone cared about me.
And maybe this Nick had a heart after all.
Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was odd and creepy. Staring at the reflection of a whole other person, even though I knew I was staring at myself. My long black hair was now cut at shoulder-length and died a lighter brown, an almost caramel color. I had in brown contacts but I also had eye-drops so my eyes wouldn’t dry up and burn.
All in all, I didn’t like it. I hated it. I missed how wild and dark my hair was. I missed the ocean blue of my eyes.
Nick kept saying it looked fine. That I was adorable. It was sickening. He had no right to say such things.

We walked from the salon all the way to one of those real fancy shmancy restaurants for the insanely rich people that have to make reservations a week in advance for. ‘La Maison’, it was called. But I was too wound up in thought to really care. I’d planned on escaping and running, but I’d have nowhere to go. No way to get home.
The lights hung from the ceiling like clear partially opened umbrellas. The walls were a burnt umber color. The tables and matching chairs were all a cherry wood color. You waked in and you were bombarded with the aromas of cinnamon and coffee.
We were seated at a private table in the back. I ordered a T-bone steak and a small cup of mixed vegetables. Nick ordered alfredo with shrimp.
The few first minutes of waiting were quiet and gawky. A middle-aged couple came up to Nick eventually. The man was in a fancy white button-down shirt and black dress pants. His hair was short and black, his eyes a dull gray. The woman was in a short fluffy red dress and red high heels. Her blonde hair was up in a sloppy pony tail.
The man was the first to speak, “Hey, aren’t you the singer from Contagious?”
“Yes! Want an autograph, I assume?”
“Oh that would be fabulous! Honey, get a pan and grab a napkin or something.” The woman smiled and put her hands together.
The man grabbed a pen out of his pocket and handed it to Nick, who scribbled his name on his napkin and handed it back to them.
“And who is this fine young lady?” The man asked, finally acknowledging my presence.
“This is Alex, my niece. I’m visiting her for the day.”
“How lovely! Well, we should be getting back to our table, now. Our food’s getting cold!” The woman took the man’s arm and quickly pulled him away.
If they only knew. Knew that I was not his niece, but in fact just a regular 17 year old girl he’d kidnapped from Florida and was being forced to stay with him. But even if they knew, would they care? Would they have the heart to help? To call the police? To bring me back home?
“Axel, are you alright?” Nick asked, breaking my thought process.
I shook my head, “Of course. Why?”
“Your eyes are all red. Are you sure?”
“I’m fine.” I growled. How could he have the nerve to ask me that? Of course I wasn’t alright! I wouldn’t be until he brought me home! Until I could be with Louis again.
But would that ever happen?

After we left the restaurant, he took me to a park. One with trails leading into the woods. We walked on one of these. It led us maybe a mile or so into the woods before opening up to a big lake. The water was almost perfectly clear. You could see the bottom. You could see all the algae, the rocks and the guppies and tadpoles and all those other colorful fish swimming around.
The trails continued even on past this lake, but Nick and I took a seat on the bench overlooking the lake. It was hot out, but still comfortable thanks to the chilly fall breeze.
“I really did mean it yesterday when I said I’m sorry.” He started.
I stayed quiet.
“Axel… please understand. Won’t you talk to me?”
“I hate you.”
“You can’t hate too much. I mean… you let me hold you while we slept last night.” He just had to bring that up!
“I only let you because I needed it. To feel safe.”
He scooted closer to me on the bench. I eyed him. He was up to something.
“We only need that. To feel secure. Safe. Protected… cared about… loved.” he sighed, “Instead of being a downer and being upset about this, because either way it’s not going to change, and this must’ve happened for a reason, let’s make the best of it. Let’s be happy.”
“What are you trying to say?”
He planted a quick kiss on my lips. I shivered and pulled away after a moment, thinking of Louis.
“I’m saying let me be here for you. Let me make you happy. I know we met under some rough circumstances, but I feel like somehow it was for this reason. For me to meet you. Because there is something about you I find entrancing. I find you mysterious and fascinating in so many different ways and I want to get to know you.”
I sighed and he slowly leaned in to kiss me again. This time, I didn’t fight it.